Beans: A HistoryWhether refried, baked, falafelled, or complementing a nice Chianti, the humble bean has long been a part of gourmet and everyday food culture around the globe. As Ken Albala shows, though, over its history the bean has enjoyed more controversy than its current ubiquity lets on. From the bean's status as seat of the soul (at least, that's what Pythagoras thought) to seed of sin (or so said St. Jerome, who forbade nuns to eat beans because they "tickle the genitals"), Beans is a ripping tale of a truly magical fruit. |
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction | 1 |
Fertile Crescent | 9 |
Europe and Andes | 23 |
Europe | 29 |
Chapter 5 Peas Chickpeas and Pigeon Peas | 65 |
Chapter 6 Oddballs and Villains | 77 |
India | 89 |
Africa Soul Food | 99 |
Mexico and the World | 109 |
Andes | 165 |
Native Americans | 175 |
China Japan and the World | 179 |
Postscript The Future of Beans | 201 |
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Common terms and phrases
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